JBL T290 – Review

JBL T290

JBL T290

| 8.7 mm Dynamic Driver |




? We are adding to our database the JBL T290 review, a very affordable model with aluminium constructed earpieces from the very popular brand.

The JBL T290 are part of the “T line” of earphones positioned right above the JBL T210. This is the budget-friendly line of JBL headphones which also includes the:

The JBL T290 features an 8.7 mm dynamic driver, flat rubberized cables, a 45 degree angled plug and metal housings.

The flat cables hold an inline single-button mic/remote that allows you to skip songs, play/pause music and answer/reject calls. This remote/mic is fully compatible with Android and Apple devices.

In the past we have reviewed many other JBL in-ear headphones that have performed pretty well, like the JBL T210, JBL T110 and JBL C100si. We will evaluate after our JBL T290 soundtests if these are another worthy model from JBL or not.

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JBL T290 - Review

Tests & Scores

W

Weight

JBL T290 weight in Ounces and JBL T290 weight in grams.

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A

Accessories & Packaging

The JBL T290 unboxing results in 3 pair of very nice looking translucent eartips (adding the pair already placed on the earpieces) and a soft carrying pouch with the JBL logo. Everything is shipped inside a fairly small packaging with a design and style highly similar to the JBL T110, JBL C100SI and JBL T210.

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JBL T290 - Accessorie
JBL T290 – Accessories

B

Bass & Sub Bass

The JBL T290 have a conservative bass response with some mid-bass bleed but not too much sub-bass depth. If you are fed up of the current ultra-bassy earphones trend you could welcome the much less bass-intensive style of this JBL earphone.

Applying an EQ, their mid-bass gets a bit of extra punch but not a lot. On the other hand, sub-bass turns into a sort-of empty space.

During our extreme bass tests the JBL T290 took up to 42% of of a Fiio E12‘s maximum power, finally being able to show some strong sub-bass depth and punch. Their mid-bass and sub-bass gained a total makeover from their highly conservative style into a very full-bodied and energetic bass style but do not expect any basshead rumble or impact at all like the Xiaomi Mi In-Ear Headphones Pro, Sony MDR-EX800ST, Pioneer SE-CX8 or the Sony MDR-XB50.

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JBL T290
JBL T290

M

Mids & Vocals

The JBL T290 have 100% free of mid-bass bleed lower mids that makes their lower vocals never congested and considerably clear but still sound sufficiently warm. Higher mids are very crisp and mediumly harsh at times. Nowadays earphones have a tendency to show strong mid-bass bleed and very warm lower vocals, therefore consider that if you are used to this style of mids you could find that the mids flavor of the JBL T290 to be lacking some warmth or body but they are not, they simply sound clearer and do not exhibit invasive mid-bass bleed.

Not much EQ is needed for the mids of the JBL T290 but if you want you can play with it to tame down their crispness of the higher mids or to warm up their lower mids and lower vocals. Either of these EQ paths will respond very well and provide a very noticeable modification of their sound.

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H

Highs & Treble

The JBL T290 highs are clear, open and resolve a slight amount of detail. Piercing highs may show up if a strong peak of a very high note is present, on any other occasion it will not be perceptible. Sibliance is somewhat hearable on sibilant-prone songs but it’s strength is fairly contained without becoming too disturbing.

An EQ adds up a crazy amount of detail and some extra brightness that results in a much more open and clear sound experience. Piercing highs remain as strong as before and sibilance gets slightly empowered but still acceptably tolerable.

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SL

Sound Leak

The sound leak level of the JBL T290 is very low, even while listening to music at a moderate-high volume. They are not as silent as the KZ ATE but they offer a substantially contained amount of sound leakage.

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SI

Sound Isolation

These JBL headphones provide some isolation but they are not the best isolating earphones by any means, we would say that they will be more preferable to people in search of an earphone that allows to be aware of your surroundings than to whom requires to isolate from it.

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JBL T290
JBL T290

C

Comfort

The bullet-styled shape of the housings is a well-known comfortable design that provides good fit and a fair amount of area to grab and handle them. The T290 have this shape and, therefore, offer an excellent fit and comfort. Moreover, the robust flat cables and metal housings add up to their comfort level and usability.

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EQ

Response to Equalization

Their response to every EQ that we applied to them was highly effective on some audio frequencies and not so much on others. The least effective were the lower frequencies showing not much empowering of mid-bass and making sub-bass sound empty. On the responsive range, there was mids with a very good fine tuning response that allowed them to become warmer and to reduce their highs crispness. Lastly, their highs were the most responsive which showed an impressive amount of extra detail and an overall much clearer and open sound.

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Frequency Response (raw)

JBL T290 Frequency Response

JBL T290 - Frequency Response Curve
JBL T290 – Frequency Response Curve

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JBL T290

Specifications

TypeDynamic
Driver Unit8.7mm
Sensitivity110dB/mW
Power CapacityN/A
Impedance16 ohms
Frequency Response20-20,000Hz
DiaphragmUnknown
MagnetN/A
CordY-type, flat cord
Cord Length1.2m
PlugStereo mini plug
WeightApprox. 15g
Supplied Accessories3x Earphone tips; carrying pouch

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DISCLAIMER
We highly discourage anyone from trying to apply our testings to your own earphones, the risk of damaging or permanently breaking your iems is absolutely probable to happen. With our standardized equalization and amplification tests we push the limits of the earphones to the extreme. If anyway you decide to do so, we cannot be held responsible of the damage done to your equipment. Do it at your own risk.

JBL T290

7.9

SCORE

7.9/10